Electric controller.



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ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.

(Application fxled Jan. '7, 1897.)

sheets-sheet i.

(No Model.)

Zyl.

lilium IIIIIII Patent-ea :une 27, |399. G. VALLEY.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.

(Application fxled Jan. 7, 1897;)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

, o0. ma f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAF VALLEY, OFLIOI'INSTOVYN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 THE STEEL MOTOR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,549, dated June 27, 1899. Application filed January 7, 1897. Serial No. 618,248. (No model.)

To all wir/0711, t may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAF VALLEY, of Johnstown, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Controllers, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to electric controllers of the class used on electric-railway cars, and has for its object the provision of a controller which, while being adapted to serve the purposes required of controllers of this class, will be cheaper to const1uct,fsimpler in operation, and more durable than those now known to the art. v

To these ends my invention consists, broadly, in an auxiliary switch surrounded by a suitable arc-extinguishing medium and so constructed and connected electrically that all making and breaking of the circuit is concentrated at the contacts of said switch.

My invention also comprises the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of certain other portions of the controller,as will be hereinafter pointed out.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a front View of a controller, with portions of the main casing and that of the vessel surrounding the auxiliaryV drum broken away, embodyingthefeatures ofmyinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the main and auxiliary drums and contiguous parts of the controller. Fig. 3 is a top View of one of the contact-finger springs. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively top and side views of the binding-posts of the contact-fin gers. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively top and side views of the hammers of the contact-fngers. Fig. 8 is a diagram of the electric connections of the controller, omitting certain unessential connections, such as those to the connecting-board of the controller.

The controller-casing Al contains within it the drums B' and C', which are adapted to rotate together when the shaft D, upon which they are mounted,is turned by the movement of the operating-lever F.

I prefer to use a reversing and cut-out switch similar to the one shown in Letters Patent No. 561,839, issued tome June 9,1896; but this is not here shown, except diagrammatically in Fig. 8. Neither do I show the binding-posts, the locking devices, nor the construction of t-he drums B and C', as such form no part of my present invention.

H isa vessel through the top of which the shaft D passes and extends into a bearingpocket h in the lower end of the vessel.

.I is a suitable arc-extinguishing medium, preferably oil, with which the vessel H is iilled to a level somewhat above the top of the drum C@ K is a Vent-pipe.

M M are the contact-iingers,adapted to make contact with the contacts in drum B', each comprising a spring m', a binding-post m2, and'a hammer orcontact member m3.

Within recesses in the finger-board O the bindin 0- osts fm2m2 and the s rings m m are a p e g l.

One end of ms secured, as shown in Fig. 2. adapted to make an electric connection with the desired part of the circuit and to a lugon the other end of fm2. The hammer mi' is pivoted, the curved end of the spring m being adapted to press m3 toward the drum, while the horn shown on m2 acts as a stop to prevent too much movement in this direction.

n, n2, and n3 are similar parts 'of the N group of iingers secured `to the iinger-board P. They are similar in arrangement to m', m2, and m3, except that the stop shown onl fm2 is placed upon n3. The N iingers are immersed in the oil J and are adapt-ed to make contact with the contact-points upon drum C'.

The arrangement of contacts upon the drum C' is shown in Fig. 2 and their relation with the contacts on the drum B'. Both drums are rotating in the direction shown by the arrow. The hammer m3 has already made contact with b3, while the hammer n3 has not yet reached c3. Conversely it is evident that n3 had broken contact with c2 before m3 had broken contact with b2.' As this relation is continued throughout the operating arc of the drums, all making and breaking of the circuit is concentrated within the oil. These relative positions between the contacts upon drum B and those upon drum C are clearly shown diagrammatically in Fig. 8.

Referring to Fig. 8, the Q group of connections represent the contacts of the M fingers,

while the X group represent the contacts of roo contacts of the reversing and cut-out drum.

Ar, Af, A's, and Am represent the resistance, field, shunt-coil for weakening the strength of said iield, and armature, respectively, of

one of the motors, while Br, Bf, Bs, and Bm represent, respectively, similar parts of the other of the motors. the circuit, and G is the ground side thereof. Of the eleven points in the Q group of fingercontacts two Q' and Q10) are connected to fingers of the R group, and R0,) so that the trolley side of the circuit which is connected to R2 may be connected to -either Q or Q10, as desirable. One of the Q group is connected to one of the Y. group. Of the other eight Q contacts four are connected to parts of theA motor-circuit and four to parts of the B motor-circuit. The X group of contacts, which by the rotation of' the drum upon which they are mounted come in contact with the Q group, are divided into three sets, U, V, and W, the contacts of each set being-electrically connected together, but each set being insulated from the other sets.

ple points, the series points always serving to direct the current from the trolley side of the circuit to desired parts of the A circuit, while the multiple poi-nts serve to direct it to the desired parts of both circuits in multiple. The contacts of V group are all series points and valways serve to direct the current to parts of the B circuit. The contacts of the W group are both multiple points and serve to direct the current to the ground side of the circuit. The connections of theY fingers and Z drum contacts are simple and clearly shown, these groups merely being interposed between the usual parts of the circuit and the ground side thereof.

As an illustration of the capabilities with a small number of contacts which my improved varrangement allows, I will suppose the reversing-switch to be at Back up both and the main drum, with the center of the Q and Y groups of contacts, opposite the dotted line passing through the X and Z groups. In this casethe course of thecurrent would be: T R2 S8 R Q X', thence part through X2 Q2 A f and part through X0 S10 R0 Am (backwardactuating side) R1 S0 Q10 X10, thence part y through X12 Q7 Bfand part through X10 QJ B3, here joining, thence R8 S11 R7 Pml (backwardactuating side) R0 S1z R10 Y Z4, ac., Z12 Y2 manner backing up with both motors, the fields of each being weakened and the cur- T is the trolley side of y The U group comprises both series and multirent passing through the auxiliary drum before reaching the ground side.

I wish to be understood as not limiting myself to the exact details as here shown and described, as many changes in the mechanical and electrical combinations maybe made Without departing from the scope of my invention. p

What I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

l. In an electric controller, in combination, a rotatable drum having a plurality of contacts, an auxiliary drum rotatable with the first-mentioned drum and in electric circuit therewith, said auxiliary drum being surrounded by an arc-extinguishing medium and having a plurality of contacts placed in such relation with the contacts of said first-mentioned d rum that the circuit is always made and broken by the auxiliary drum.

2. In a system of electric control for mo'- tors, two separate circuits, each containing part of the motors and of the other apparatus used in conjunction therewith,.a controlling-drum and fingers adapted toengagecontacts upon said drum., va group, as U, ot' contacts upon said drum, adapted to direct the electric current to the desired parts of one of' the said circuits, or to bothof said circuits in rnultiple, as desired, a second group of contacts, as V, upon said drum, insulated from the first-mentioned group and adapted tcdirect the current to parts oi' the other of said circuits, and a third group -ofcontacts, as W, upon said drum insulated from both of the aforementioned groups and adapted to direct the current to the'ground side of the circuit.

3. In a system of electric control for motors, two separate circuits, as A and B, each containing part of the motors and apparatus used in conjunction therewith, a reversing and cut-'out drum connected to the source vof supply and to parts of each of the said circuits, a connection from said reversing and cut-out drinn to a group, U, of movable lcontacts adapted by their movement to first connect with parts of the said A vcircuit and afterward with parts of both of the said circuits in multiple, another Yconnection from said reversing and cut-out drum adapted .to engage first a group V of movable contacts, adapted by ltheir movement to connect with parts of the said B circuit, said connection afterward engaging a group W ot' movable contacts adapted to connect with the return side of the circuit.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAF VALLEY.

Witnesses:

T. H. NORMAN, H. W. SMITH. 

